Areas of Interest

"It is a common misconception that the Navies of the Napoleonic Wars used only massive ships, crewed by hundreds of men, which would slowly close and pass their enemy in a line of battle. In truth, every Navy employed a broad range of craft, and many experimented with varying designs, resulting in either astounding success or crushing defeat. Here is a brief description of the variety of ships used during this period, although it only scratches the surface of what was in use.

We begin with the largest, and most well-known: ships of the line of battle. Since the mid 17th century Navies had adopted a line-of-battle in major fleet actions. Each adversary formed a continuous row of powerful warships; the two lines approaching one another, each trying to outmaneuver the other. Early on, any ship available was used in these lines, but it became evident that purpose-built line of battle ships (where the modern term "Battleship" comes from) were needed…."Main pagelink

Actually, no. For example, the French had an entirely different system of classification. But as the Brits were the premier navy, most/all games use their system.

And you're correct about the 2nd rates (98 gun 3 deckers). Only the British use them to any extent (especially post 1794). While impressive as flagships for smaller squadrons, they were generally horrible sailers, being slow and crank.